Windows 8 Previews Expiring Soon

Windows 8 previews to expire in about three weeks’ time

The world may not have ended last week, as many doomsayers had feared (or hoped), but the continuing existence of our planet means that the various preview builds of Windows 8 will all expire next month.

"Starting from the expiration date, you may not be able to access any unsaved data used with the software,” warns the Release Preview’s EULA. “Any applications you receive through the Windows Store will also cease to be available to you in future versions, unless they are made available for re-download and you re-acquire them. You may not receive any other notice."

If you are currently running a preview build and wish to upgrade to Windows 8 proper, please note that you will lose all your apps and Windows settings in the process.

No problem!!! The Vista and Win7 Release Candidates lasted till May 1st when they were around. Rumor has it the Windows 9 beta will be released this summer. So I will be wiping the hard drive with win8 on it on January 16th. Bye! Bye!

I plan on building a new PC with Windows 7. Windows 8 will never be used on my main box.

PC user since the DOS days. Currently using Win 7 on laptop and desktop PC's at several businesses (Also maintain OSX devices for several clients). As a test, purchased Win 8 Pro DVD and loaded on to new drive in a recent Lenovo Thinkpad.

Wasted two weeks trying to make this new 8 look work for existing needs. I find Win 8 to be a waste of time and resources if you are using a keyboard and existing files. Several employees also expressed frustration with the needless reshuffle of file access and presentations.

I cannot find a reason to 'upgrade' to Win 8 for the PC. If you're intent on buying a 'Surface', then you have your OS waiting

Do you really expect someone to take that idiot in the video seriously? Do YOU base your opinion on anything that idiot said?

I had to quit listening to his drivel when, at 1:01, he said Windows 8 is UNUSABLE. If he were correct, he would have to admit that Windows 7 is unusable, as well, because essentially, Win8 is nothing more than a souped-up Win7 with the added features of the modern ui.

Seriously, given his total lack of understand of Win8 after his clamined "30 days of use", I'm glad I've never heard of him before...or read his previous work of comparing Linux, Apple and Windows OS's. I think I would have come away with a totally inaccurate understanding of all three of them.

I think, maybe, there was a very good reason he had a five year break in these kinds of jobs: He's an idiot.

Mr. Boyko should just stick to making cute animation videos...and leave the content to people who know what they are talking about.

And, you...IntelFanatek...should be more careful who you listen to on the Internet. This is a dangerous place, you know.

Yeah if you quit at 1 minute in you didn't get to his VERY SPECIFIC GRADING RUBERIC which cearly laid out WHY it is unusable. He's totally right.

YOU are as heretical as the fools who reject win8 on the face value of it. YOU DIDN"T LISTEN TO HIS POINTS.

I on the other hand HAVE tried windows 8, I hate it. and I hate the way Microsoft is jamming this fucking turd down everyones throats. I thought it was a good summation of the reasons why windows 8 sucks, which is why I shared the link.

Metro stapled to windows 7, with less user control and administrative functions= windows 8. It lacks: control, continuity, context, and conveyance.

Microsoft is trying to create one user interface for all devices. But(In the tone of Lewis Black)a phone, is a phone. and a computer, is a computer. THATS WHY THEY"RE TWO DIFFERENT FUCKING THINGS!

Winodze 8 is optimized for(well nothing really) but primarily content consumption. When most users (at least the ones who aren't worthless (like you)) are actually CREATING content with their PC's.

I've got skills, and I take TIME to make informed descisions. Take your assanine, vapid, despot rhetoric and save it for the teenagers asshole!

Sorry, but I have to agree with Granite. I have been using windows 8 for over 3 months now and after installing start8, every single issue with windows 8 has gone away. If you are too dumb to switch the default opening programs, then you really shouldnt call yourself informed. With the way computers are going, you are either going to have to upgrade and learn or sit in a bubble and watch all of the other people get your jobs. We will be rolling 8 out in a few months where I work because it runs so much better on all of our current machines (XP and 7).

And also what is this about creating content??? AutoCAD and Maya are faster in Windows 8 than in 7. So take your informed ass and shove it. I bet the only creating you do is on Microsoft Paint. Actually use the software before you bash it. I am tired of you people who are scared of change.

Windows 8 is faster, more secure, and a lot more IT friendly than 7 is.

I'm not opposed to have a civil discussion here, but the demeanor of Granite's response was patronizing.

Okay first off "windows 8 is faster and more secure"

rebuttal: windows 8 is faster because new hardware is improving the user expereinece in this generation of PC's and it's more secure because its ONLY BEEN OUT FOR 4 MONTHS! Just wait until the hackers get to it.

Let's talk about software experience:

I'm an IT professional. I work in informatics at a major hospital. I'm involved with networking, software development, implementation, patches, roll outs and developers to allow 8 different software interfaces to comunicate with eachother in the core pathology lab.

I've used OS systems from, Unbutu, Zorin, a multitude of other minior Linux based systems, and of course every past version of Windows since 1992. The notion that I would miss out on some important skill or experience found exclusivly within the function of Windows 8 is ABSOLUTELY FUCKING LAUGHABLE!

Again, as I stated in my OP: I HAVE USED WINDOWS 8 and after 4 weeks of it, I decided I HATE it.

Not to mention, I build some sweet home PC's for gaming. Maybe windows 8 is better with applications. Doesn't change the fact that the interface is TERRIBLE. What? a few less core OS processes is going to make a world of difference on my i7 z77 chip set and SSD's when I'm running Lightroom, Photoshop, Sketchup, Dreamweaver, BF3, Civ V, etc? BULL SHIT.

The point is Microsoft took EXACTLY the opposite approach to the development of the next generation of technology and human interface. They approached it by adopting ONE OS for ALL devices. When what they should have done, was adopt multiple OS's for a single device. The processing power is THERE! Phones could be adapted to drop into, or plug into a larger monitor and change interface modes and serve as your home PC. The Galaxy S3 is already practically already a table/phone on it's own.

Let me ask you something. If you like Windows 8 so much....Do you own a windows phone?.....didn't think so.

@ Bigrigross - Win8 with Metro is defective for engineering productivity. In your comment you said you have a 3rd party program called Start8. This will bring the win8 BACK to win7 user interface? If so you JUST validated the comments by IntelFanatek. If you cannot use win8 with Metro without a 3rd party software patch..then you must agree with the rest of us..win8 SUCKS!! It will NEVER see the light of day at my company - over 150K people..yes..that is correct Intel Corp. Oh and BTW, as far as being left in a bubble for not embracing this so called "Change"? Haa, there is this company that has NAILED it, it is called Apple, they have the pulse of the people. It is Microsoft who will be left in the bubble pal!!

Did you find that XP will install just fine from a USB DVD drive to a socket 775 motherboard but refuses to install to a Socket 1155 from the same DVD drive?

Simply restore a 775 backup to the 1155 motherboards drive

The 775 drivers "WILL" cause XP to hang without a mouse on the 1155 board when you boot up

Just wait untill windows stops finding new hardware and then shut down with the power button

You will need to boot XP 2 or 3 times untill XP finds the mouse driver

Now simply remove old drivers and install new ones

A simpler method is to keep a "Basic" XP backup without any drivers of any type so it can be restored to any machine with minimal problems

XP will also install just fine if you install from an internal SATA DVD drive but will most likely give you a blue screen virus warning if you try to install from a USB DVD drive

To prove to yourself that there is not an "actual" virus when you get the warning, simply try installing to a new bare drive or one that you erased with killdisk

When you get that same virus warning with legitimate copies of XP and a bare hard drive on a brand new socket 1155 board, it's time to realize that the problem is a Gov't forcing motherboard makers into compliance with the newest State Sponsored spyware platforms

Did a clean install upgrade on two desktops and one laptop. none of them took more than three hours start to finish with all updates and my apps reinstalled. And that included some heavy duty programs. The Windows install itself only took about 30 minutes complete.

So as with all previous versions I would recommend doing a clean install to avoid unnecessary problems.